Pope says sorry to sex abuse victims but stands by Bishop Juan Barros

Pope Francis said he realised his comments were “a slap in the face” to the bishop’s accusers during a press conference on his flight back from a visit to Chile and PeruALESSANDRA TARANTINO/AP

Pope Francis offered a partial apology to sexual abuse victims yesterday after he caused outrage by appearing to support a Chilean bishop accused of protecting an alleged paedophile priest.

During a press conference on his flight back from a visit to Chile and Peru, the Pope said he realised his tough words about accusers of Bishop Juan Barros were “a slap in the face”. Yet he repeated the claim he made last week that “someone who accuses insistently without evidence — this is calumny.”

Bishop Barros is accused of witnessing sex abuse carried out by Fernando Karadima, who was sentenced by the Vatican in 2011 to a lifetime of penance after victims spoke up. A Chilean court agreed with the evidence against him but could…